It's a Jedi Thing
by Konfetti
Summary: Luke is missing and Mara wants to find out why. A Companion piece to Transcendence.
1. It's a Jedi Thing

I have had several people ask me about Mara and Leia - what is going on with them while Luke is taking a little impromptu tour of the afterlife ****

I have had several people ask me about Mara and Leia – what they are doing while Luke is taking an impromptu tour of the afterlife in Transcendence. I wasn't planning on getting into much with Mara and the rest of the gang (Trans in convoluted enough, don't you think??) But I thought that a supplemental story might be fun. So this is meant as a companion piece to Transcendence, but I think it can also stand alone. Sort of. :)

IT'S A JEDI THING

  
  
The pilot of the shuttle made a few final adjustments in preparation for the transition from Lightspeed. He casually flicked the comlink switch above his head and cleared his throat before announcing to his passengers that they would soon be re-entering normal space.

"This is the Grayson. I would like to advise everyone that we are approaching our destination." He paused a moment before continuing. "Please use your seat restraints."

He clicked it off, smiling to himself. He would have preferred not mentioning the last part of that statement. His current 'guests' were a stuffy bunch of New Republic big-shots - political types, all tricked out in layer after layer of pretentious clothing not suited for several days travel through space. The group had complained incessantly about everything from the temperature in the shuttle to the lack of some odd sounding beverage the pilot had never heard of. Grayson thought it would probably do the pontificating little bunch a galaxy of good if they were to get tossed around the passenger area of the shuttle for a while. But, rules were rules - it wasn't worth him getting a demerit on his license.

A few minutes later the streaking stars outside began to slow and the shuttle made a perfect transition from Hyperspace. Grayson watched his instrument panel for a few minutes and frowned. He then leaned forward, visually scanning the area outside for any signs of the escort ship that should have been right beside the shuttle. Nothing. 

Grayson sighed, irritation building rapidly. This _really_ topped off the trip. Getting stuck in a shuttle for 3 days with a group of politicians and now having the escort fighter out of its proper position. 

"I thought Skywalker was supposed to know how to fly.'' He grumbled to himself, leaning back in the seat and trying to decide what he should do. Any minute now the planetary government would be signaling him with the landing coordinates and he was pretty sure his passengers weren't the types to like waiting.

As if reading his thoughts, a hum of static came from the ship's video panel and an image appeared on the viewscreen of a reptilian being with hard scales and wicked looking teeth. Grayson instantly recognized the creature as a Barabel - one of the two groups that were engaged in a civil conflict that was dangerously close to escalating into war. Grayson hoped the Republic dignitaries he had on board were better at negotiations than they were at space travel. 

"New Republic Shuttle," the Barabel spoke with a heavy accent "I am Chutar. It will be my honor to greet you when you land. Are you prepared to receive the coordinates?"

'_'Blast it!" _Grayson cursed, his mind working frantically for an excuse to delay. Finding none, he decided to try the truth.

"Uh yea - Chu-tar. Go ahead with those numbers. But -see - it looks like one of our ships is having a little trouble. Not sure what exactly, but he hasn't come out of hyperspace yet."

Chutar's eyes blinked and he seemed to be concerned -- at least Grayson thought he looked concerned -- he hadn't dealt with the species enough to properly interpret their body language.

"I see. That is most unfortunate. We can discuss the situation after you land."

With that, the video screen went black and Grayson was left alone to decide how he was going to break the news to the delegates. His plan had been to simply drop his passengers off and find a nice place to kick back and have a drink. Looked like now he would have to put those plans on hold. He shook his head, once again cursing the bad luck that had dogged him on this trip.

"Damn Jedi." He mumbled to himself, shaking his head. "Probably fell asleep meditating."

**************************************

Mara Jade Skywalker was lying in bed at the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin. It was long past midnight and she had been trying to get to sleep for several hours, so far quite unsuccessfully. She had tried every trick she could think of to no avail and she had come to the conclusion that pregnancy was simply not conducive to a good night's rest.

__

"Just wait 'till the baby is born." Leia had told her with a smile_ "Then you will know what not sleeping is really like."_

Mara turned on her side and rearranged the multiple pillows once again -- pushing one behind her back and sliding another between her knees. She had read that this position was supposed to help support her bulging belly and keep pressure off her back, thus assisting in relaxation. She couldn't say that she was very impressed with that advice, and she wondered how in the worlds she would make it through another 2 months in this compromised state.

Her son took that moment to give her a quick kick in her ribs. She was surprised at how strong his kicks and punches had become lately. Once again she could almost hear Leia's voice:

__

"Just wait - you haven't felt anything yet!"

She wished for a moment that Luke was there - she had gotten into the habit of pressing her belly up against his back as they slept. It was rather comfortable for her, and Luke got to experience some of their son's acrobatics first hand. He had asked her once how she could sleep through all that moving around, and the truth was that she really couldn't. But she knew Luke would be home soon - and he had desperately needed a break from the Praxeum. His workload had increased in the past months and combined with the added stress of their impending parenthood it had begun to take its toll. She herself had taken a few weeks away with Mirax Horn and it had greatly rejuvenated her. It was a pity that they could not afford to take some time off together - but it was going to be hard enough to arrange time after the baby was born. There were simply too many pressing issues at the Praxeum for both of them to just up and leave. The baby interrupted her thoughts with another firm kick. She closed her eyes and reached down to stroke the taut skin on her rounded stomach. She smiled as she sensed her son's delicate presence in The Force. It was so much like Luke's.

"Don't worry little one." she murmured "Mommy is not upset with you. Mommy just wants to sleep." 

Mara had taken to talking to her tummy several months earlier, when she had first felt the baby's gentle movements within her. She had felt a little silly at first, but Leia had insured her that not only was it quite normal - but it would also help the baby recognize her voice after he was born. She smiled, her thoughts once again drifting to an image of her holding the baby in her arms. She held that image in her mind and willed her body to relax.

She had finally managed to find a semi-comfortable position, and was on the edge of sleep when she heard a faint but insistent knocking on the door of her quarters. She lay there a moment longer, trying to gather the energy to get out of bed, secretly hoping that whoever it was would go away. But the knocking only got louder and she sat up, tossing a pillow against a far wall in frustration.

"It's a conspiracy." she mumbled, grabbing her robe and pulling it around her. She pushed her hair out of her face and padded through the room barefooted. She sensed the identity of the person on the other side of the door even before she opened it.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you." Tionne said apologetically before Mara could speak, "But there is an urgent call for you in the Comm room. Something about Luke."

Mara sighed and nodded, only half listening. "It's okay Tionne. I wasn't asleep anyway. I'll be right there." She turned, walked back to the bedroom, and slipped on a pair of soft shoes. She took a quick glance in the full-length mirror as she passed it, and chuckled to herself. If anyone had told her a year ago that she would be parading through the Temple halls in her bedclothes and a robe, hair unkempt - she would have laughed. But that was before pregnancy had given her a slightly new perspective on priorities. Besides, Luke had seen her look worse.

She caught up with Tionne in the Comm center a few minutes later and stood in front of the View Screen, expecting to see her husband. Instead, to her chagrin, she was greeted by not one but two individuals she had never before seen.

"Can I help you?" she asked, slightly embarrassed by her current attire. The men she was looking at were dressed in ornate and obviously expensive clothing. 

"Are you Mara Skywalker?" one of them asked her. He was short, rather round and his voice held a tone of self-importance. She pegged him for a politician immediately.

"That's right. What I can do for you?"

"Well, we were hoping that you could help us." He replied, casting an annoyed look at the second man who was shouldering him out of the way.

"We want to know what has happened with Master Skywalker." The second man said, his voice sounding definitely agitated. "He was supposed to be here with us and……."

Mara held up a hand, cutting him off. "Luke didn't show up?" she asked, her mind quickly deciphering what was happening. These two were obviously members of the delegation group Luke had agreed to accompany.

But she knew very well that Luke had met them - she had seen him off the day they departed.

"Well - we have his X-Wing here……." The first man said, trying to push his way back in front of the view screen.

"What?" Mara said, anger beginning to build. She despised people who refused to express themselves in a concise manner. "Just tell me plainly what is going on."

From somewhere behind the two men, out of range of the video monitor, Mara heard a gruff voice, filled with barely contained contempt.

"Get outta the way. Let me talk to her……." A strongly build man suddenly appeared on the screen, a few days growth of beard on his face. His clothes marked him as a pilot. His face told her he was a pilot who would rather be somewhere else.

"Ma'am -- my name's Grayson. I'm the shuttle pilot that was flyin' with Master Skywalker. Look - here's the story. He didn't come out of hyperspace with the rest of us. We thought maybe he'd - you know - fallen asleep or somethin'. But then a little while ago his ship showed up but he wasn't in it. The R2 unit was still there - we guess he must have piloted it in. So we were kind of wonderin' if you knew where your husband might have run off to."

Mara rarely found herself speechless, but she was absolutely at a loss for words. She immediately checked the bond she had with Luke - it was still there, very much intact, and she was almost certain that Luke was all right. 

"You are telling me that Luke was _not_ in his X-Wing when it came out of hyperspace?" she asked, wanting to make sure she had heard clearly.

"No - all we have is the ship. We thought maybe he had gone back there but I guess not.."

"Come back here?" she asked incredulously. "And how would he have done that when the ship he was flying is there with you?" 

The man shrugged. "Well - none of us really know a whole lot about Jedi. We thought maybe this was something that you people did. I've heard all sorts of crazy stories 'bout Master Skywalker doing some pretty weird stuff. We thought maybe this disappearin' was just some - you know - some Jedi thing."

"I _assure_ you" Mara said, speaking each word slowly "That Luke did not make himself vanish. And Jedi Master or not, he certainly did not fly back here under his own power."

She could see that the conversation was getting nowhere. She was exhausted, exasperated and pregnant. Not a good combination.

"Mr. Grayson" she said, regaining control over his growing irritation. "I will do my best to figure out what has happened to my husband. If you hear anything - _anything_ - I want you to contact me immediately."

"I can do that." He promised her.

"Thank you."

She reached out and switched off the monitor, her mind spinning. She turned around and saw Tionne standing by the door with her mouth agape. 

"Can..I help with anything?" Tionne asked tentatively.

Mara shook her head. "No. I'll deal with this." She strode out of the room and back down the hall. She knew Luke was fine - he had to be. She would know if anything had happened to him. There had to be an explanation and she intended to find it. The baby gave another monumental kick and Mara smiled in spite of herself.

"It's alright little one" she said softly. "We just have to go get your father out of another mess."

**************************************

Well - there it is. If you like it I may continue to update it while I work on the rest of Transcendence. Please let me know!! 

Thanks for reading!


	2. Pieces of the Puzzle

Mara could not recall the last time she had been so completely tired

**PIECES OF THE PUZZLE **

Mara could not recall the last time she had been so completely drained, both physically and mentally. Ever since the communication arrived, informing her that Luke had mysteriously vanished, she had been in constant motion. She had showered, retrieved her travel bags from the closet and had been packing for the better part of an hour.

She was slightly dismayed to realize that the majority of her good clothes were still on Coruscant, and what she did have with her - while fine for training sessions and teaching classes - were hardly suitable to meet a political delegation.

After a few minutes of staring blankly into her closet, Mara reached in an quickly grabbed a few pieces that she hoped would still fit over her enlarged abdomen, concluding that it was perfectly acceptable for a pregnant woman to dress for comfort instead of style.

Once all the items were packed and the bags were fastened, Mara sat down on the edge of the bed, a sudden wave of exhaustion coming over her. It was hours past midnight, and she had yet to sleep. She smiled at the irony - when she _wanted_ to sleep she couldn't, and when she _couldn't_ sleep she needed to.

She decided it was good practice for when the baby arrived.

As if reading her mind, her son proceeded to pummel her with a series of kicks and punches. One struck her ribs hard enough to take her breath, and she laid back flat on the bed, rubbing her belly soothingly.

"You had The Force behind that one, little one," she murmured with a smile.

_The Force…. _

Mara closed her eyes and regulated her breathing, calming her mind. She allowed The Force to flow into her, sharpening her drowsy senses. It was not long at all before she felt awake and energized; her body effectively tricked into thinking it had slept for hours. She sat up once more and looked at the chronometer on the wall. It was nearly time to start her journey - her plan being to leave Yavin in the middle of the night so she could arrive at her destination by mid-morning. She stood and took a last look in the mirror, and rolled her eyes in annoyance when she realized she had not even remembered to brush her hair, as focused as she was on Luke and the alarming situation. She walked to the bed and rifled through her travel bags a moment, looking for her brush. Upon finding it - at the bottom of the second bag, of course - she sat cross-legged on the bed and began to brush her still-damp hair. 

The baby was still turning somersaults and Mara could not help but smile at the sensation. She chattered idly to the baby as she brushed her hair, then stopped suddenly as she felt a strong presence in the room.

_Luke's presence!_

Her head shot up, and she looked all around, half expecting to see him in the bedroom with her. But there was no one there. Then the feeling was gone, as quickly as it had came. 

Mara frowned. She knew Luke's Force signature as well as she knew her own! And, even now, there was some faint, lingering feel to the room that was not there before. She stood up, dropping the brush on the floor. She took a few steps forward, her sensing reaching out.

"Luke?" she called out, a part of her feeling slightly ridiculous in doing so.

She concentrated further, and realized that it was not only Luke's presence that was still hanging in the air, but another individual was there, as well. The second force signature was remarkably similar to Luke's - but different at the same time. Almost in the same way that her child's presence was unique, yet still similar to Mara and Luke.

"What in the worlds is happening here?" she asked herself aloud, her voice soft.

The entire time she had been preparing to leave, Mara's mind had been constantly replaying the odd call she had received concerning Luke. Try as she might, she could not shake the feeling that something very strange had happened - more so than just the obvious fact that Luke had failed to arrive with his ship. Her Jedi senses told her that something was seriously amiss. Even now, she realized that the presence she had felt in the room - her husband's, she was certain - was not quite right. There was a vague feeling of .._of what_? She struggled to find the proper word, then placed the feeling as being simply unnatural. Disconcertingly so.

She had tried convincing herself that -_ somehow _- a perfectly logical explanation for Luke not arriving with his X-wing existed. And it had seemed the delegates she had spoken to earlier were more angry than truly concerned about Luke not being there. She almost chuckled, thinking for a moment about that pilot, Grayson, and the ridiculous misconceptions he had about Luke's abilities. To think that a Jedi Master would actually have the power to simply vanish out of thin air was utterly…

_Vanish?_

A sudden realization struck Mara and her face went slack, the color draining away, her eyes widening. She reached out one arm, steadying herself against a nearby wall. She closed her eyes, and forced herself to remain calm as she considered the mind-numbing possibility that had just entered her consciousness. 

_Could Luke have died while in hyperspace? _

Mara rebelled against that idea immediately, not willing to accept it. But her mind would not let her dismiss the possibility as easily as would her heart. She knew that some Jedi Masters had the ability to disappear upon their death. A growing sense of dread began to fill her, and Mara quickly began to analyze the facts as she knew them thus far: Luke had left with the delegation, but he did not arrive. His X-wing _did_ arrive, empty, piloted by R2. Luke had not been forced to make a stop at any time on the journey - for he would surely have notified the Transport ship he was escorting if he had a mechanical problem. All of this pointed to….Mara could barely bring herself to even think the words…

_Luke's death. _

But one thing, above all else, pointed toward Luke being alive _somewhere_, and Mara clung to that with all her strength. It was the Bond she shared with her husband. It was still strong, still pulsing with their combined energy and love. Mara and Luke had joined through The Force - they were like two halves of the same person. She would know if Luke had died. Wouldn't she?

Just then a knock on the door startled her out of her reverie. She hurried to open it, and found herself staring into the faces of two young students - a brother and sister - who had only recently arrived at the Praxeum. The younger of the two was shaking, while the older one's eyes bugged big enough to fall from her face.

"Kalen - what's wrong?" Mara asked, reaching out to place a hand on the little boy's forehead. "Why are you up at this hour? Are you sick?"

"No Master," he replied shakily. He looked to his sister for a moment, seeking reassurance. "It's just that…well, we thought we saw Master Skywalker a few minutes ago."

"You _saw_ him?" Mara asked, surprised.

"Not exactly," the girl replied. "It's more like we…_knew_ he was there, through The Force. Like what you teach us to do in class. We were on the way to the training rooms and it was like he was right there, watching us. But he…wasn't."

"It was really weird," the little boy agreed, shaking his head furiously.

Mara stared at the two, her mind working frantically to put the pieces of this puzzle together. 

"We're really sorry, Master. We know we aren't supposed to go to the training rooms after hours. But we couldn't sleep. Time is so much different here than it was at home and we can't stay asleep until morning…."

"It's alright, kids." Mara said hurriedly, placing one hand on each of the children's shoulders. She leaned down slightly to look them in the eye. "I want both of you to go back to your room. Try to get some sleep if you can - if not, you can talk or study quietly. I have to go away for a little while, but Tionne will take over my classes." She paused, then smiled at the young faces. "You were right to tell me about this. And I'm very proud of you for being able to recognize Master Skywalker's presence. You're learning quickly."

The children's faces broke into large smiles at the compliment, then they nodded and began walking back down the hallway toward the student quarters.

"Master?" one of them called out, turning back to Mara.. "Is Master Skywalker okay?"

Mara took a deep breath, and her eyes closed for a moment. _Was _Luke Okay?It was an excellent question she wished she could answer with certainty. With effort, she smiled at the children and kept her voice light when she answered. 

"I'm sure he's fine. You don't need to concern yourself. Try to get some rest."

"Good night, Master," they both replied, looking slightly less anxious.

Mara watched the children until they disappeared around a corner, then she sighed and leaned back heavily against the cool wall. Her eyes turned upward, scanning the area above her head. 

_Where in this galaxy are you, Skywalker?_

Mara hated to admit it, but she was becoming more concerned by the minute. She pushed herself away from the wall, and went back into her quarters. She retrieved her brush from the floor where she had dropped it, and placed it back in the travel bag. She took one last look around, then slung one of the bags over her shoulder and grabbed the other one in her right hand. Absently, she reached out to touch the lightsaber that hung at her side; it's cool metal and heft comforting. She headed to the door, palmed off the glowpanels and exited the dark room, heading for her personal ship.

Mara had just entered the hanger when a sudden wave of power swept through her, sending chills up her spine. She stopped in her tracks, her senses flashing to full awareness. A flicker of light caught her attention, and she turned swiftly to see a shimmering form begin to materialize, a soft glow emanating from it, cutting through the blackness of the unlit hanger. Mara let her bags drop to the floor, and immediately had her lightsaber in hand, the blue blade extended in front of her in a defensive stance. She had never seen an apparition before, and though the ones Luke had encountered had been friendly, she was not about to take chances.

"Who are you?" she demanded as the form began to take on a reasonably human shape.

_Luke Skywalker has not died, Mara Jade._

Mara gasped, and her weapon lowered. Those words had _not_ been spoken! She heard them clearly, but there was no voice. The words had been spoken directly to her mind. She stared at the form before her, her green eyes straining. The form was still shimmering, still bathed in a bright light and she could not make out any details of the face or body. 

"Who are you?" she repeated, her voice clear and firm despite her uneasiness,

_Someone who knows_

With that cryptic response, the light began to fade and the form began to dissipate, vanishing into the darkness as if it had never existed.

Mara stood very still for several long moments, her mind in a whirlwind.

Slowly, she picked up her travel bags and stared at her ship, then stared back at the Praxeum. What had she just witnessed? And _why?_ Had this been some sort of warning? Someone trying to tell her she should not leave? She snorted. If that mysterious ghost had been trying to frighten her into abandoning her plans, it had certainly done a poor job of it!

Readjusting her should bag, Mara made an abrupt decision and walked to her ship, her strides purposeful. She boarded, dropped her bags in one of the bunks and headed for the cockpit. She slid behind the controls easily and flipped a few switches to power up the ship. She leaned back in the seat, waiting for the warm up process to complete.

She was still leaving, but her destination _would_ be slightly different now.

She hoped Leia wouldn't mind the unannounced visit.

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** Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated. I will try to continue updating this story while I work on Transcendence. **


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